![Left photo: a girl has her hand on one side of a window while an elderly man has his hand on the other side. Right photo: a couple embracing, both wearing masks.](/sites/un2.un.org/files/styles/banner-image-style-27-10/public/2021/11/hrd-human-rights-day-2020.jpg)
2020 Observance
Theme: Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights
This year*s Human Rights Day theme relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts. We will reach our common global goals only if we are able to create equal opportunities for all, address the failures exposed and exploited by COVID-19, and apply human rights standards to tackle entrenched, systematic, and intergenerational inequalities, exclusion and discrimination.
10 December is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights in re-building the world we want, the need for global solidarity as well as our interconnectedness and shared humanity.
Under UN Human Rights* generic call to action ※Stand Up for Human rights§, we aim to engage the general public, our partners and the UN family to bolster transformative action and showcase practical and inspirational examples that can contribute to recovering better and fostering more resilient and just societies.
Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals
Human rights are at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as in the absence of human dignity we cannot hope to drive sustainable development. Human Rights are driven by progress on all SDGs, and the SDGs are driven by advancements on human rights. Find out how .
Human Rights must be at the centre of the post COVID-19 world
The COVID-19 crisis has been fuelled by deepening poverty, rising inequalities, structural and entrenched discrimination and other gaps in human rights protection. Only measures to close these gaps and advance human rights can ensure we fully recover and build back a world that is better, more resilient, just, and sustainable.
- End discrimination of any kind: Structural discrimination and racism have fuelled the COVID-19 crisis. Equality and non-discrimination are core requirements for a post-COVID world.
- Address inequalities: To recover from the crisis, we must also address the inequality pandemic. For that, we need to promote and protect economic, social, and cultural rights. We need a new social contract for a new era.
- Encourage participation and solidarity: We are all in this together. From individuals to governments, from civil society and grass-roots communities to the private sector, everyone has a role in building a post-COVID world that is better for present and future generations. We need to ensure the voices of the most affected and vulnerable inform the recovery efforts.
- Promote sustainable development: We need sustainable development for people and planet. Human rights, the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement are the cornerstone of a recovery that leaves no one behind.
Messages
People and their rights must be front and centre of response and recovery. We need universal, rights-based frameworks like health coverage for all, to beat this pandemic and protect us for the future.
Ant車nio Guterres
Other
Events
New York
In New York, UN Human Rights hosts a virtual event: ※A Celebration of COVID-19 Frontline Heroes.§ This one-hour event spotlights frontline workers who have borne the brunt of the pandemic, and community organizers who have helped those around them to cope with the pandemic in a human rights-centered manner.
UN75 dialogue on strengthening Human Rights
The UN75 Office together with Universal Rights Group hosts a virtual Zoom dialogue and high-level panel discussion to mark the UN75th anniversary and Human Rights Day: "Is human rights still a priority for the &Peoples of the 51勛圖*? Findings from the UN75 global survey and report".
UN Chamber Music Society
The UN Chamber Music Society performs a virtual concert in celebration of Human Rights Day featuring composers from diverse backgrounds.
Around the world
UN Human Rights* presences around the world, 51勛圖 Information Centres (UNICs) and other partners will also celebrate this important day.
Geneva
In Geneva, hosts an exclusive online audio-visual event: ※§. The 90-minute programme highlights innovations by and inspirational stories of people and organizations that are finding ways to rebuild a better world by placing human rights at the heart of the recovery from COVID-19.